Chapter 55 Morning in the Courtyard

As soon as a sliver of light appeared in the gray sky, there was movement in the courtyard.

The window of the second room in the east wing, covered with Korean paper, creaked open a large crack, and Aunt Luo sleepily peeked into the main room.

The commotion last night was so loud that it didn't quiet down until midnight, but surprisingly, I didn't get up early today.

"What are you looking at?"

Old Jiang, who was already dressed and out of bed, was fastening his belt when he suddenly felt an itch in his throat. He took a few quick steps, opened the door, and spat a mouthful of phlegm at the entrance before finally feeling better.

"Old Gao invited us to have dinner at his house tonight, so don't buy groceries this morning, and just grab something simple for lunch."

Aunt Luo glanced at the old man who had been picking at his money for most of his life and rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You're always thinking about eating more at other people's houses. You don't even eat lunch, do you think your husband and his wife are capable?"

Old Jiang snorted in dissatisfaction, walked into the yard with his hands behind his back, and stepped on the thick phlegm he had just spat out, muttering a few more words under his breath.

A few years ago, as the head of the family, he would have been the one with the final say, but times have changed, and he is no longer the one whose word counts in the family.

The two rooms in the east wing belonged to his family.

The elderly couple slept in one room, which they also used as a living room. Their third son, Jiang Heping, and his wife, Yuan Lingling, lived next door.

The third son and his wife went to Guangzhou to work a couple of years ago and saved up some money. They opened a clothing store on the front street and are now the most profitable people in the Jiang family.

At home... they've unknowingly become the ones in charge.

creak—

The door to the first room in the main house slowly opened, and Gao Tiejun came out carrying an enamel mug and a toothbrush.

"You're up so early today because you're not going to work!" Gao Tiejun said, then walked to the courtyard and put his toothbrush in his mouth. "My second son was a bit noisy when he came back yesterday, I'm sorry!"

There were no water pipes in the courtyard house, so everyone had to go to the well next to the door to wash and cook.

Just as Gao Tiejun squatted down by the ditch, Lao Jiangtou also squatted down to the side with his jar.

"Old Gao! Do you have any spare rooms in your two-courtyard house? I'd like to rent one to my husband and me."

At the beginning of the year, the factory that rented Lao Gao's house went bankrupt. They took back the house and left it empty for several months. Many people came to ask about it, but they all said they wanted to keep it for their child.

Old Jiang thought that even if Gao Ming and his wife had two more kids, they would only need three rooms at most, so he could ask about the remaining room.

"Doesn't your eldest son live in the factory's residential area? Why would he leave a free place to rent?"

"Don't even mention it." Old Jiang spat out a mouthful of foam and rinsed his mouth haphazardly. "The factory looks like it's going to go bankrupt, so they're asking the employees to contribute money to convert it from a public to a private enterprise... Guess how much that will cost?"

"Two thousand yuan for a 20-square-meter room!" Old Jiang held up three fingers, then shook them indignantly, "Isn't this just a disguised way of kicking people out?"

"You've been working for over ten years, and you can't even come up with two thousand yuan?"

Gao Tiejun felt that two thousand yuan was not much at all. You should know that the family residential area of ​​the Jiang family's eldest son's factory was right next to the National Palace, which was the very center of the city.

Jiang Heyun inherited his father Jiang's shortsightedness, only caring about the two thousand yuan in front of him, without seeing how valuable the house would be in the future.

"What can you possibly offer!" Old Jiang scoffed, then wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth. "You know that your eldest daughter-in-law is a spendthrift."

Jiang Heyun's wife always wore gold and silver jewelry when she came back, so it's understandable that she didn't save any money.

However, all four rooms in the second courtyard had already been arranged, so Gao Tiejun could only shake his head: "The second son and his parents-in-law will live in two of the four rooms in the back. The eldest son's two sons are already teenagers, so they can't still live in the same room as their parents... And my eldest granddaughter Nian'an, we also need to arrange a room for her!"

Whether or not to rent is just a casual question, but what really surprised Old Jiang was hearing that his daughter-in-law's parents also lived at her in-laws' house.

He felt it would be embarrassing to say it anywhere.

"Your family also needs to help support your second daughter-in-law's parents!"

Gao Tiejun quickly waved his hand: "Don't talk nonsense! Gao Ming and his wife sent the money back a few months ago. They didn't just eat and drink for free."

"How much money did you take?" Old Jiang asked.

Gao Tiejun knew from the sight of Old Jiang's gloating smile that if he didn't tell the truth, the old man would surely go around spreading rumors.

So he opened his palm and gestured.

"Fifty?" Old Jiang's smile widened even more.

"Five thousand!"

After leaving behind a sentence that shook Old Jiang to his core, Gao Tiejun stood up and pumped water to wash his face.

After Dong Qiaoying finished tidying up and walked out of the room, the corners of her mouth that were turned up in a high smile never fell. Even when she saw Old Jiang, whom she usually disliked the most, she had a rare smile on her face.

Good morning, Lao Jiang!

"My goodness!" Old Jiang, who had been stunned for a while, jumped up and grabbed Gao Tiejun's arm, repeatedly asking, "What exactly is your Gao Ming doing outside? He just takes this five thousand yuan without warning."

Gao Tiejun did not return.

Old Jiang continued to ramble on, "If you gave me five thousand, I could feed and treat my in-laws to a good life every day. Would five thousand be enough to support them for a lifetime...?"

"Old Gao, Nianping said last night that he wanted to eat soy milk and fried dough sticks, why don't you go and buy them?" Dong Qiaoying couldn't stand Old Jiang's snobbishness, so she put on a stern face and said loudly on purpose.

Just as the group was talking, the door to the first room in the west wing opened.

Aunt Liu shuffled out in her slippers, greeting Dong Qiaoying with a smile: "Old Dong, you're full of energy! Now that your grandchildren are here, you'll be laughing all the time!"

Dong Qiaoying immediately retorted without any politeness: "You didn't see how beautiful my Nian'an is, and my grandson Nianping is just like a New Year picture doll. Everyone who sees him will like him."

Aunt Liu smiled, turned around and brought out a spittoon from the house, winking at Aunt Luo in the opposite house.

Seeing this, Aunt Luo quickly brought out her own spittoon as well.

Ruanqiu said that the daily routine of emptying the spittoons in the courtyard house, which takes place early in the morning, is currently underway.

As soon as the two stepped out of the courtyard, Aunt Liu's smile vanished: "What's the use of being pretty! She's still just a country girl, and she'll have to rely on Erming to support her in the future."

"What's wrong with a country girl?" Aunt Luo, who was born in the countryside, was very unhappy to hear Aunt Liu say that: "Besides, Erming's wife used to work in a factory, but she lost her job because she went to live with Erming!"

"I didn't look down on her because she's from the countryside," Aunt Liu quickly tried to salvage the situation, clearing her throat and adding, "I think the Gao couple will have to support their second son's family in the future."

"Didn't you hear Lao Gao say that Erming took five thousand yuan home?"

"You actually believe that! Erming is out there hauling goods for people, and he still earns five thousand... If you ask me, he didn't even give him fifty. Old Gao is just saving face for his son!"

He was incredibly proud of himself after saying that, and he greeted every neighbor he met on the street with a big smile.

Aunt Luo pursed her lips.

Old Gao isn't the type to talk big, otherwise Old Jiang wouldn't have been so shocked that his mouth couldn't close.

In her opinion... Gao Ming must have made a lot of money outside.

The first thing he did after making money was to bring his wife and children to Beicheng to enjoy a better life. This was a hundred times better than what Aunt Liu's youngest son, who had abandoned his wife and children to return to the city after being sent to the countryside as an educated youth.

"I'm curious what Erming's wife looks like, that Erming went to such lengths to bring her over, and even his parents-in-law are willing to support her..."

Chen Yun, who was being thought about by Aunt Liu, was standing at the door of the room in a daze.

Facing us was a wall made of blue bricks, not very high, covered with gray tiles, from which a few tender green grasses grew, swaying slightly in the wind.

"What are you looking at so intently!" Gao Ming finished dressing Gao Nian'an, turned around and saw Chen Yun staring blankly at the wall, and found it somewhat amusing.

Yesterday I was so reserved, it wasn't like me at all. I woke up this morning in a daze, as if I hadn't realized where I was.

"It's so hot!" Chen Yun looked up at the sky.

The dryness of the northern city was already deeply felt on the first night. Although there was no sticky feeling, the heat was like being roasted by a fire in the middle of summer.

"After we finish eating, let's go buy an electric fan." Gao Ming put the drowsy Gao Nian down and then turned to help Gao Nianping get dressed: "Let's see if there's anything else we need in the house, and buy it all today."

Chen Yun turned around and looked at the room.

"Actually, tile-roofed houses are much cooler than apartment buildings. My company dormitory is on the third floor, and it gets just as hot in the summer as your single dormitory."

"Dad, where are we?"

Gao Nian'an, who slept until morning after leaving the train station yesterday, looked around the house blankly before finally toddling towards Chen Yun with his short legs.

"He calls you 'Dad,' but he's still looking for 'Mom.'" Gao Ming said with a sour tone.

"This is the home we'll be living in from now on. Why don't you and Mom take a look and see how we want to decorate it?"

Before she knew it, her daughter had grown to waist height. It felt like just yesterday that the baby in her swaddling clothes was crying. Every time she saw Chen Yun, she was amazed at how fast time flies.

"I want a bed where I can sleep by myself," Gao Nian'an immediately expressed her opinion, quickly counting on her fingers: "I also want a desk for doing homework; Grandpa said first graders need to do homework..."

They had many requirements, but the room was only 20 square meters. After Gao Nian'an finished listing the furniture, the couple could only sleep outside the door.

The bed took up most of the room, and Chen Yun felt that the bed must have been the culprit for yesterday's heat.

I don't know which ancestor left behind this canopy bed, but it has a beautifully carved canopy on top. Once the mosquito net is hung up, the heat can't escape.

Chen Yun pointed to the bed: "I can't enjoy such a high-end bed. Let's think of a way to change it."

"Okay!" Gao Ming agreed quickly, as if he would immediately agree if Chen Yun asked him to open a window in the roof.

"We need to get a wardrobe and a desk."

The house is square and has no extra space. The door and windows are near the courtyard wall, and the other three sides are walls.

Besides, Chen Yun didn't really intend to stay at her husband's family home forever.

Even if she were willing, she would have to consider her parents' feelings... She couldn't just live comfortably in her in-laws' house.

"Then I'll go next door and ask my parents what they need to buy for their room," Chen Yun said.

"Anyway, the money is all with you, so you can decide what you want to buy."

The couple got ready and went out.

Chen Shu and Xu Cuihua slept on the train for two days, but when they got to their accommodation, they couldn't sleep and went to the front yard early in the morning.

Ruanqiu and Li Huguo only got up after hearing Chen Yun and the others talking.

When the two families lingered with their toiletries and headed to the front yard, the area around the well was already bustling with activity, almost like a market day.

"Get up!"

Dong Qiaoying was picking vegetables at the kitchen door when she heard footsteps and immediately laughed.

"mom."

"grandmother."

Gao Nianping struggled to get down from Gao Ming's arms, called out "Grandma" in a clear voice, and her cute, head-shaking appearance attracted Dong Qiaoying to rub her for a while.

After kissing her, she quickly waved to Gao Nian'an and said, "Nian'an, come to Grandma's quickly, let me take a good look at my eldest granddaughter."

The Gao family's only granddaughter is someone the elderly couple cherishes dearly.

Gao Nian'an hugged Chen Yun's waist, shyly peeking out only one eye to secretly observe this unfamiliar grandmother.

"Your grandpa bought your favorite soy milk and fried dough sticks. Come on, Grandma will take you to eat them."

"Fried dough sticks!" Gao Nian'an's eyes lit up instantly. "Could you put more sugar in them?"

"I can have as many as I want at home."

The thought flashed through Gao Nian'an's mind, and she realized that her grandmother was now the one with the most authority in the family. Without hesitation, Gao Nian'an let go of her hand and ran forward.

"Shuai Shuai, come here, Grandma will take you to eat fried dough sticks."

Li Shuai ran even faster than Gao Nian'an.

With her grandchildren in her arms, Chen Yun, the daughter-in-law, had to stand at the front door. Dong Qiaoying, holding the child, turned and walked into the house.

"Erming, Huguo, why aren't you getting your wives water to brush their teeth and wash their faces?"

Gao Tiejun sat at the door repairing bicycle chains, with disassembled parts scattered all over the ground.

"Erming, which one is your wife?"

The courtyard of a traditional courtyard house is not large to begin with, and with each family placing miscellaneous items and flower pots in the courtyard, the whole courtyard seems even more crowded.

The woman who was talking was sitting at the door of the second room in the west wing, picking vegetables.

“My love is Chen Yun.” Gao Ming put his arm around Chen Yun’s shoulder, picked up the basin and water vat, and said, “I’ll go get some water. The ground is slippery, so you can brush your teeth and wash your face here.”

"The young couple has such a good relationship."

Aunt Liu was slightly overweight, with deep lines between her eyebrows and very heavy nasolabial folds. Chen Yun felt that she must have frowned and pursed her lips a lot.

Difficult to get along with... that was Chen Yun's first impression of Aunt Liu.

"Brother Quan." Gao Ming greeted Zhang Quan, the eldest son of Aunt Liu, first as he walked to the well, and then Jiang Heping, the third son of Old Jiang: "Sanjiang."

Zhang Quan smiled憨厚ly and made way for Gao Ming to press the water.

Every morning, you have to fight for a spot to brush your teeth and wash your face in the yard. Those who arrive late have to fetch water to their doorsteps to wash up.

"When did Erming come back?"

Jiang Heping has a protruding mouth and sunken cheeks, and his thick hair looks like a chicken coop when he sleeps. Only his big, round eyes still have a bit of a righteous air about them.

He was dressed very fashionably, wearing an earthy yellow shirt and black and yellow checkered flared pants, making him visible from dozens of meters away.

"last night."

"I drank too much last night, otherwise I would have gotten up to say hello to my sister-in-law." He said, tapping his forehead with his right hand and then raising it high: "Hello, sister-in-law."

The trendiest way young people in the northern part of the city greet each other right now...

Chen Yun smiled and nodded.

"Brother Erming is really capable, and his wife is so beautiful." Jiang Heping said, glancing furtively at his own house. "If she got a perm, she would definitely be prettier than most of the girls in Beicheng."

"You mean you want me to bring your sister-in-law to your clothing store to do business?" Gao Ming turned around with the basin of water in his hand. "We'll definitely go before your sister-in-law goes to the hospital for her first day of work."

Hospital!

Aunt Liu, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, suddenly turned sharp, her eyes like two blades piercing Chen Yun.

"Erming, what's wrong with your wife that you need to take her to the hospital?"

People who don't want you to be well will always interpret every word they hear with the utmost malice. Aunt Liu had long been jealous of Gao Tiejun's family for being able to get so many houses, and had been waiting to see the Gao family make a fool of themselves. Of course, she didn't want the Gao family to have another capable daughter-in-law.

“She’s doing great!” Gao Ming raised an eyebrow at Aunt Liu, seemingly oblivious to the ill intent in her words: “Director Zheng of the Workers’ Hospital personally invited my wife to serve as the director of the Neonatal Department. She will be reporting for duty next month.”

"..."

Apart from the sound of brushing teeth, Chen Yun was in a state of quiet for several seconds.

Even Gao Tiejun was unaware of this matter, and at this moment, he couldn't help but look at his third daughter-in-law with more respect.

The Workers' Hospital is one of the top three hospitals in the northern part of the city. Those who can work there are either highly skilled in medicine or have extensive connections.

For ordinary people like them, getting admitted to the hospital requires connections.

"Your sister-in-law is a doctor!" Jiang Heping gave her a strange look, then glanced at his own house: "So young and already a department head!"

Aunt Liu's mouth was stuck shut at this moment, and her gaze as she looked Chen Yun up and down was as if it had been poisoned.

Chen Yun smiled, his mouth full of foam, and said, "If Auntie gets sick in the future, I can help contact a doctor, but I don't know if they will accept my favor."

"Who's sick!" Aunt Liu shouted.

"Look at my mouth." Chen Yun rinsed off the toothpaste foam with a gurgling sound before continuing apologetically, "I didn't curse your aunt to get sick. Everyone gets sick sometimes, and that's when we doctors come in handy."

"..."

"Erming's wife is really something," Jiang Heping said to Zhang Quan in a low voice. "Your mother has another rival now."

In the compound, besides Granny Jia, who is currently visiting her daughter, another person who can rival Aunt Liu's sharp tongue is the young and educated Chen Yun.

The key point is that this cultured person didn't use a single swear word in their speech, and you couldn't find a single mistake.

Didn't you see how angry Aunt Liu was, like she'd swallowed a fly, unable to say a word? What if she really gets sick and needs help later... how can she possibly offend someone so badly now!

"Chen Yun, Ruan Qiu, come inside for breakfast after you've washed up." Dong Qiaoying came out of the main room with a smile, having watched the commotion for a while before speaking.

After everyone had gone into the main room and sat down to eat breakfast, she explained the situation in the courtyard in detail.

Four families lived in the courtyard. The first two rooms in the east wing belonged to the Jiang family, where Old Jiang and his wife lived, along with their third son and his wife.

The eldest son lives in the factory's residential area, and the second daughter got married last year. Her husband's family lives in the alley in front, just a few minutes' walk away.

“Old Jiang is stingy, Sister Luo is generous and reliable in critical moments, as for Old Liu…” Dong Qiaoying shook her head with a particularly disliked expression: “Birds of a feather flock together, Zhang Quan’s wife and Old Liu… are both sweet-talking but bitter-hearted people.”

Chen Yun and Ruan Qiu nodded quickly.

Aunt Liu is a widow who lives in the first two rooms of the west wing with her son and divorced daughter.

The last two rooms are where Grandma Jia and her husband live. Their son and daughter both work in other places, so it's just the two of them raising their lame son who can't find a wife.

Grandma Jia has a sharp tongue, but she's actually a kind-hearted person. She and Aunt Liu have never gotten along.

"What about the remaining two rooms in the east wing?" Chen Yun asked.

"It used to be a young couple living there, but I heard they bought a house in another part of Chengdu, so the house is now empty and waiting to be rented out."

Old Jiang wasn't in a hurry to rent a room because there were two readily available rooms nearby. Gao Tiejun could rent these two rooms anytime, although the rent might be a bit expensive.

"Mom, where are my parents?" Chen Yun asked again.

“They said they were going out for a walk after breakfast. There’s a park nearby, and Lao Gao showed them the way before we came back.” Dong Qiaoying said to Chen Yun with a smile, pretending not to see Gao Nian’an secretly scooping a spoonful of sugar into his bowl. “That park is full of retired teachers. They have book exchange meetings and painting exchange meetings every day. I think your parents will definitely like it.”

Chen Yun nodded happily.

Her in-laws must have found out what her parents liked beforehand, so they specially chose a place to cater to their preferences.

It seems that Chen Shu and Xu Cuihua won't be back until lunchtime.

Chen Yun was less worried because her parents could find ways to pass the time that they enjoyed.

"After you finish eating, let Erming take you out for a walk and help us buy some things for the house." Dong Qiaoying looked up at the outside and then waved her hand: "Liangliang, come in and have breakfast."

The young man who walked in was rather thin, with striking features and sharp eyebrows. If he were a little less timid, he would definitely be quite eye-catching.

Gao Liang and his mother Qiu Zhifang have very similar expressions and movements, and they seem to be very careful with every step they take.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt."

"Uncle Huguo, Aunt Qiu."

Gao Liang was going through puberty, and his voice came out in two sentences in the tones of four people, sometimes cracking and sometimes low.

"Come and sit down," Gao Ming greeted Gao Liang. "Where are your parents?"

"Dad went to work before dawn, and my mom went to Xishikou to wait for work."

Gao Liang and his younger brother Gao Yi slept in the side room, and had to pass through their parents' room to get out.

"What job are you waiting for?"

Before the Lunar New Year, Gao Ming hadn't heard of Qiu Zhifang having any work. Besides, in Xishikou, most of the workers were temporary laborers waiting to go to construction sites to carry bricks, and very few women could handle the hardship.

“Your father and I have tried to persuade you so many times, but you won’t listen,” Dong Qiaoying sighed.

The eldest daughter-in-law is very hardworking. Ever since she moved back home, she has been paying for the family's food expenses and always tries to do some chores to earn money when she has nothing to do.

There are many laid-off workers now, and there's competition for every job. If you can't find an easy job, you can only do manual labor.

They tried many times to persuade the eldest daughter not to take living expenses anymore, but Qiu Zhifang was proud and would rather be so tired that she couldn't straighten her back than rest at home.

"You should also persuade your brother to talk to Zhifang."

Gao Ming said, "Okay," while pondering how to resolve the matter without hurting his sister-in-law's self-esteem.

"Eat quickly, and after you finish, your second uncle will take you to buy a new pencil case."

"Dad, I want to buy a pencil case too." Gao Nian'an was afraid that she wouldn't get one, so she quickly raised her hand: "I want to go to school too."

"I'll buy them all." Gao Ming patted his daughter's braids and grinned mischievously. "I also need to buy you a few more pencils, since you'll be writing a lot of words in the future."

Dong Qiaoying brought two bowls of soy milk to the table: "Where's Gao Yi?"

"Still asleep," Gao Liang said. His hand, which was about to scoop out some sugar, trembled and he immediately withdrew it as if he had been startled. He then buried his head in the tasteless soy milk.

Seeing this, Chen Yun scooped up a spoonful of white sugar and handed it to him: "Would you like some sugar added?"

Gao Liang was surprised, and then nodded slightly.

He's so introverted that he's easily startled even at home; it's hard to imagine what kind of environment Gao Liang grew up in.

Dong Qiaoying frowned as she looked at him, then grabbed the sugar jar and pushed it in front of Gao Liang: "Take as much as you want. This is Grandma's house, your mother won't dare to say anything."

Chen Yun: "..."

It seems we can now guess why Gao Liang is so careful and attentive to every little detail.

The old man was timid, but Gao Yi, who was still asleep, was completely different.

Judging from the fact that Gao Ming didn't mention Gao Yi at all, it seems... he doesn't like this second nephew.

Chen Yun was somewhat curious.